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Letters .Patent No. 72,627, dated .December 24, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN PHOTOGRAPHIG CAMERAS.

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TO ALL PERSONS TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN B. GAGE, of St. .Iohnsbury, in the county of Caledonia, and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Photographic Cameras; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a side elevation,

FignreQ a longitudinal and vertical section, and

Figure 3 a horizontal section of a camera-box provided with my invention- The purpose of which is'to effect what is termed the viguetting of positive and negative photographic pictures. This I accomplish by means of what I call movable and adjustable cut-offs or shutters arranged within the camera. i 'l In the drawings, A denotes the main or lens-tube box, and B the picture-frame carrier, the two being made `and applied in the ordinary way. Within the box A, I arrange two shutters7 C D, each b eing made to project from one of two shafts, E F, which go through the box transversely, and are supported in bearings therein. These shutters are so arranged that the shaft of one is above and that of the other below the lens-tube oriiice a, and each of the shutters or cut-ods I form in two parts, c d, one of which is so affixed to the other as to be capable of being slid on it either toward or away from the'shaft of the shutter. The sliding portion of one shutteri'ias a concave lip, e, projecting from it; that of the other has a convex lip, f, extending from it, as shown in the drawings, and particularly in figs. 4 and 5, which are representations of such lips. The shape of such lips, however, may be varied as circumstances may require. There is a knob, f2, on one end of the shaft of each shutter, and such also has an index-pointer or indicator, g, extended from it, and upon a divided semicircular limb, h, or'its equivalent, applied to the side of the camera. Furthermore, the opposite end of each of the shafts does not go entirely through the side of the box, but receives a screw, 7c, which `goes through a nut, I, and is screwed into the shaft axially. The nut rests against a disk, m, arranged between it and the side of the box, and against the latter. .The said nut, screw, and-disk constitute a friction-apparatus, to hold the shaft and shutter in any desirable position within the range of their motion.

The object of making each'shutter in two parts, c eZ, as described, is to enable the shutter to be extended or contracted in proportion as the drawerB-may be moved either outward or inward relatively to the lens. In using the cut-offs or shutters, the upper one is lirst' to be brought down to the position at which it may be desirable to intercept the rays falling upon the sensitive surface. After the picture has been partially formed, the shutter should be slowly moved upward, so as to allow the rays to gradually fall on the surface and complete the shading of the picture. Next, the lens should be covered with a veil or cloth, and the object should be removed from between the lens and the background of the picture. Next, the lowcrshutter should be elevated so as to bring its'lip into the position in which the lip of the upper shutter was at first, after which, the lens should be uncovered, and thc lower shutter should be moved so as to cause the image of the background to be softened or shaded 01T, as may be required. This will be understood by photographers.

When the light is unequally thrown upon an object whose image the camera may be in the act of -photographing, the invention may be rendered useful for the purpose of intereepting the rays which may have made a suiiicient impression, thus causing other portions of the image'to remain longer exposed to the action of the rest of the rays. l In this way evener pictures may be obtained.

I contemplate connecting the twoout-ols together, by means of a link or connection-rod jointed to the two, in order that one, when moved, may cause the other to move a like distance, and in Aparallelism with it. This enables me to produce, by successive movements of the cut-offs, a series of images, each successive one of which will appear in advance of the other.

I am aware that stationary cut-offs or partitions have been used in a. camera to cut oli" portions of a picture, their employment being generally effective of hardlines and inartistic results. Consequently, I make no claim to such.

I therefore claim, in combination withv a camera, leither one or two shutters or cutos, made movable or adjustable up and down therein, substantially as and for the purpose or purposes as specified.

I also cla-.inl the construction of each of the cutoffs, viz, so as to be capable of being either contracted or expanded in length, substantially as specied. i I also claim the combination and arngement ofthe indicator and divided limb, or the equivalents thereof,

with the camer'n and each of the cut-offs, as set forth.

I also claim the combination of the friction-apparatus, or its equivalent, with the camera and each cut-o`, or with the same and the indicator and-its limb, or their equivalents.

FRANKLIN B. GAGE.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, Y F. P. HALE, Jr. 

